12 Easy Tips to Play Golf With Style and Enjoy it More

Firstly, I’m guessing that if you’re reading this then you’re not one of those lucky so-and-so’s who get paid a bucket load of cash to do what a handful of us attempt to do every weekend…GOLF! Golf is by no means a simple sport, but there are a number of ways to help you play (or at least look) like you know what you’re doing. Here are 18 tips that let you enjoy the game a little more:

1. Look the part

Dress yourself with a nice golf shirt, golf hat, smart trousers and a cool pair of shades. Dressing like Tiger won’t make you play like him, but at least it doesn’t bring you any unwanted attention from the course regulars.

2. Don’t talk, laugh, sneeze, cough, fart, etc.

when others are hitting. It’s funny (don’t laugh) how just a little noise can distract a golfer mid-swing. You probably don’t want to be distracted yourself all the time so be respectful towards your playing partners.

3. Check your gear before leaving the house

It’s not as easy as you might think to putt with your 3-iron (I know I’ve tried). This is what will happen if you chose to take your own flat-stick to mini-golf and didn’t remember to throw it back into your bag.

4. Go to the driving range on your way to the course

If there’s no time to go on your way, go the night before. It’s amazing what whacking a big pile of balls can do to your game. This is usually realised on the 18th hole – when you finally, after 17 holes of trying, hit a good tee-shot.

5. Do a little warm up

The last thing you want it to play the next 17 holes with back-pain. Before teeing off, use a club to stretch your arms, back, and backside by holding each end and moving your arms and upper body around a bit.

6. Just relax

Whoever it was that said “golf is a relaxing sport” deserves to be hit with a 3-wood. The more relaxed you are the better your concentration, and consequently your swing are. So don’t think about your fellow golfers watching you or that annoying bird chirping in the tree next to you. Take a deep breath, zone everything else out, and swing.

7. Don’t be afraid to drop a new ball

If you can’t find your ball drop one where you think it might have landed. Don’t spend more than five minutes looking for it. Other golfers don’t like waiting around for hackers, plus searching through the trees makes it look like you missed the fairway.

8. Practice swings

You don’t want to be that guy who takes 53 practice swings before he hits the ball or even the one that walks straight up and tops it on his first try. What you want to do is take a step away from the ball, take two to three swing. Adjust your club height if you were too low or high. Take another. Now hit it. Nothing more nothing less.

9. Don’t try and be the longest hitter

The winner is not the guy with the furthest drive; it’s the guy with the lowest number of shots. Grip the club with your fingers (not palm); a steady solid swing on the sweet spot will always go further than a wild muscle shot.

10. Just because you can’t see the group in front, doesn’t mean that they’re out of range

Make sure you give the guys in front lots of time to clear you’re driving distance, from even your longest drive – because that’s when you’ll hit it.

11. Think about your approach

Unless you’re a pro (in which case you shouldn’t be reading this article) take the straightforward shot. Don’t try the impossible, by carrying a lake or those 100 ft trees, to try to get on the green in one. You should hit your tee shot down the fairway and leave yourself with a good chance to make your next shot. Until you’re using the putter, the aim should be to position your next shot.

12. Don’t hit the tree in front of you

If your balls behind a tree in the rough don’t try and play the miracle shot. Just chip out and get the ball back into play. 9/10 times the ball will hit the tree/branches. “You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two inch branch 90% of the time.”

Welcome to Good at Golf

Hey welcome to my blog, my name is Greg. I'm a golf coach and I'd like to help you to play better golf with my no-nonsense approach. I think everybody can hit better shots by working on their game step by step...